Wood Elves
''Sy’Tel’Quessir '' Creation Myth Corellon Larethian and Sehanine Moonbow long ago planted into Okarth seeds that would grow to become the Wood Elven race. The seeds took eons to mature, however, and over time, both Corellon Larethian and Sehanine Moonbow grew sidetracked with other matters, forgetting about the seeds they planted on the planet. When the seeds eventually matured, and the first Wood Elves came into being, they found themselves alone. Nature itself took pity on them, and provided for the young subrace with all they needed, and protected them from harm. Outlook Wood Elves, simply put, are at one with the world around them. Over the years, they have lost the urge to built and replace nature with walls and ceilings. Instead, they are content with their natural setting. They work with it, creating magnificent cities literally built from the trees, unlocking the potent secrets of the smallest and most unassuming herb, and other feats that most city dwelling folk- including many fellow Tel’Quessir- might find nearly impossible. This intimateness with nature seems to come at a slight price, however. Many Wood Elves have trouble understanding anyone who isn’t a fellow Wood Elf, including their fellow Elves who are of a different subrace. This has, as a result, caused Wood Elves to primarily mingle with only their own, even driving some of the most isolated tribes into primitive and near feral creatures that only physically resemble Elves, due to their lack of contact with the rest of the world, and the ways that it has changed. Though they are generally calm and serene, very little can match the fury of an angered Wood Elf, for an angered individual almost always causes the entire community to become incensed. Most prefer a degree of isolation from the rest of the world. They value their privacy, and almost always subtly steer intruders away from their communities within the woods when the intruders are not welcome. Other times, they use various methods to cause intruders to forget what they have witnessed, employing magic, and various natural herbs. When enraged, however, Wood Elves- especially the more primitive tribes- have no qualms with simply slaying intruders, and leaving them as a warning to others. Communities differ from tribe to tribe, but most share common values, such as spiritualism, the belief in various superstitions, and an emphasis on rituals, both mundane and magical. Description Wood Elves have skin that ranges in tone from dark brown to light copper. Their hair is usually brown or black, though occasionally blonde or tan, while eyes are usually brown, green, or hazel. Most prefer to dress in simple clothing, made of hemp or other naturally available materials, favoring simple cut tunics and dresses, set off by common embroidery in natural designs and patterns. Males average a few inches over five feet, while females average five feet exactly. Wood Elf Characters Wood Elves understand the power of arcane magic, and are perfectly capable to using it, but are the least inclined of Okarth’s Elven subraces to seek its power. This is almost the exact opposite our aquatic cousins, who understand its power, but cannot wield it. Clerics are also rare, but exist. Druids and Rangers make up the majority of Wood Elves. Fighters, Rogues, and Barbarians are common as well, among those who do not have the physical capabilities to excel at being a Ranger. Favored Class Wood Elven society has much in common with the path of the Ranger, as it teaches Elves many talents that Rangers utilize. As such, Ranger is the Favored Class of Wood Elven. Prestige Classes Arcane Archers, Druidic Hierophants, Sylvan Minstrels, Knotward Experts and Spellsingers are the most common paths that Wood Elven magicians pursue. Wood Elven High Magi are rare, but do exist in places. Prestige Classes that involve martial classes are as varied as the martial classes themselves, and can be found across the entire Wood Elven nation. Wood Elf Society No two Wood Elven communities are exactly alike. As a result, it is difficult to pin down just what exactly their society is like. Most share some very basic commonalities, however. Among kin, friends, and allies, there is much merry-making, with feasts, dances, singing, and other kinds of celebrations for even the most superficial of reasons. Something as insignificant as a member of the community recovering from a non-threatening illness can be enough to spark days of revelry. To outsiders, however, this side is never seen, and Wood Elves can come off as insular, rude, condescending, or even outright hostile. The emphasis on the individual is downplayed a great deal, as opposed to the emphasis on the community at large, making Wood Elf communities fairly communistic. Individuals do what they need to do not for their own benefit, but for the benefit of the community. Things that benefit the community invariably benefit the individual as well. As a result, the bonds between Wood Elven communities are very tight, and manifest themselves as potluck communal feasts, the shared defense of the community, and the near absence of physical money, as opposed to barter-and-trade, or simple altruism in giving goods and services away. Language and Literacy Wood Elves speak Elven. Those who have interactions with other races generally learn to speak Common, as to be able to communicate with them, though some still have enough Elven haughtiness left in them to believe that others should learn to speak Elven, if they want to associate with Wood Elves. Most other Wood Elves do not have the interest, nor do they have the capabilities, to learn other languages, and rarely do so. Individual settlements oftentimes speak their own dialect, though the degree it differs from Elven depends on just how isolated and primitive the tribe is. Many of the most isolated and primitive Wood Elven tribes speak a dialect of Elven that differs a great deal from the contemporary Elven language, and is more similar to the way the language spoken by their ancestors thousands of years ago than it is by their cousins who speak it today. Many Wood Elves are illiterate, the reason being that in their environment, physical writing is rarely used, and things like paper, parchment, and the like are almost completely foreign- especially among the most xenophobic and isolated of groups. Because of their communal sense of history and learning for the sake of knowledge, most learn the written form of Elven, even though they rarely use such skills within their own communities. Wood Elf Magic and Lore Contemporary Wood Elven magic primarily exists in Druidic form. In the days of old, when powerful empires ruled by Wood Elves and Faerie Elves stretched the continent, Wizards and Clerics were much more common. Those days, however, are long gone, and with them went the prominence of traditional Wizards and Clerics. Druidic magic coaxes power from nature, which is appealing to Wood Elves- especially those isolated tribes that are more primal and uncivilized than others. Arcane magic is seen by many as divorcing to the natural world, due to the need to study in isolation, and the fact that it produces unnatural results. Ironically, in the days of yore, Wood Elves numbered among the mightiest magicians. Wood Elven Selu’Taar once were as prominent as Faerie Elven Selu’Taar, but today there are but a few Wood Elven High Magi alive, most of the living on the Elven Enclave, away from the majority of their kin. Spells and Spellcasting Today, the Wood Elven has no specific spellcasting traditions. In the past, many powerful Wood Elven magi were masters of Elven High Magic, but only a few remain today. The subrace remains as magically inclined as it was in the past, but, as a whole, has mostly abandoned the arcane path. At no point did the entire race suddenly give up arcane magic- it has simply became less and less commonplace over the years. Most Wood Elf magicians are Druids or Rangers- both of whom draw power from and are inherently tied to the forests that the Wood Elves make home. Wizards, Sorcerers, and those who use arcane magic are not unheard of, but are rare. Of course, in more primitive settlements, Wood Elves who practice arcane magic are indeed nonexistent. The divine magics of priests and priestess’ are also rare, used only by Clerics and Shaman, but this is not due to any sort of cultural phenomenon. In any society, only a small number are devoted and talented enough to pursue this sort of path. Wood Elf Magic Items There is a misconception that, since Wood Elves live lives that are in harmony with nature, they cannot and do not produce magical items of any quality. This is wholly untrue, much to the chagrin of numerous Wood Elves who come into contact with other races on a constant basis. A Wood Elven staff may look old and gnarled, but that is simply a cultural aesthetic choice. The appearance of such items in no way belays their physical quality, or the fact that the magic contained within them is no more or no less potent than the same magics cast by a Faerie Elf, or a Human, or any other race. Wood Elf Deities and Religion Unlike Faerie Elves, Wood Elves are very spiritualistic, but they rarely conform to set religious standards or orthodoxy. As a whole, the race believes that individuals are born with spirit guides that watch over them, and aid them in various ways from the spirit world. Various special ceremonies and rites of passage have been developed to help reveal and communicate with a particular Elf’s spirit guardian, such as inhaling, or imbibing psychotropic mushrooms or plants. These spirit guardians take the form of animals when they communicate with those they watch over. A small minority of Wood Elves worship Corellon Larethian and Sehanine Moonbow, the King and Queen of the Faerie Elves. This veneration differs a great deal from the way the Faerie Elves worship the two deities, however. Wood Elves see Corellon Larethian as the embodiment of the physical world, and Sehanine Moonbow as the embodiment of magic and mystery. Wood Elves are among the strongest proponents of the Empodoclan Heresy, merging their own animistic beliefs with the traditional worship of the Seldarine. Relations with Other Races Wood Elf attitudes differ from tribe to tribe. Generally speaking, most are amiable, but aloof. So long as one comes in peace, they are not looked upon as hostile, and may even be welcome for a time, though that time may be short. Being a long-lived race, however, most have long memories, and recall past transgressions and conflicts as if they were yesterday. The experiences of the past still color the opinions and attitudes of most Wood Elf tribes even today, in the present. Because they are metaphorical cousins, Wood Elves and Faerie Elves have a strong affinity for each other. Though they often manifest in different ways, both Elven subraces share the same core values, such as a respect and affinity for magic. Most differences between the two subraces are more or less superficial. Wood Elves have little contact with Snow Elves, Aquatic Elves, Drow Elves, and Lythari. Very few Wood Elves have migrated to the Northern Continent, and very few Snow Elves have migrated to the Central Continent, resulting in very little interaction between the two races. Because both are Elves, and share many core values and interests, generally speaking, there is no reason Wood Elves would not get along with Snow Elves. The same goes for Aquatic Elves, in which the obvious barrier of breathing air and water comes into play. The Drow, on the other hand, are universally reviled, though the normally do not have much interaction with the Wood Elf race as a whole. The Drow are taught to consider, among others, the Wood Elves their enemies, and in response, Wood Elves do their best to avoid Drow, coming into conflict with them only when aggravated and spurred on. Though they are extremely rare, Wood Elves regard Lythari with a great deal of respect and reverence, some groups even worshipping them as deities. Most are weary of Humans, for Humans gained stewardship of the Central Continent after the Second Age of Elves ended and changed much of the face of the continent. Individuals are much more accepting of the Human race in general, whereas entire communities recall the great deal of deforestation that began when Humans rose into prominence, or the great wars that came to pass, and fear and/or begrudge them for it. As a community, Wood Elves and Dwarves share very few traits and values, and as a result, often do not see eye to eye. While Wood Elves are more often than not laid back, Dwarves are strictly regimented. While Wood Elves believe in the preservation of nature, Dwarves take pride in their ability to consume natural resources and produce all kinds of items. Wood Elves do not dislike Dwarves, per se, but they find it easier to avoid them all together, lest they develop a dislike for the Stout Folk. They have a better relationship with Halflings and Gnomes, however. The laid-back lives of Halflings appeal to Wood Elven sensibilities, as does the living in communion with nature of the Gnomes. Orcs and Goblinoids, on the other hand, are seen as scum, and most, if not all, Wood Elves have an intense dislike for such creatures. Wood Elf Equipment Because Wood Elves make their homes in the forests of Okarth, their weapons, armors, and everything else reflects this. Everything they create, from the simplest tool, to an entire hut, is built in harmony with nature. For example, hammers range from rocks that have been magically shaped, to rocks tied to wooden handles with dried vines. Domiciles vary from hollowed out trees to structures that are magically built atop trees, using the tree itself. This does not mean, however, that Wood Elves do not have the knowledge required to work metal. Most do- only the most isolated, most primitive groups do not. Most Wood Elves simply have no interest in metalworking, seeing it as an act that works in opposition of nature, as opposed to one that acts in harmony with it. Arms and Armor Wood Elves, in general, seem to enjoy the process of constructing arms and armors. A Wood Elf would much rather create his or her own weapon, choosing the ideal materials, spending as much time as needed to craft it, rather than purchase it from an anonymous merchant. Weapons that can be produced by materials easily found in nature, such as spears, clubs, saps, staves, and so on, are most common in Wood Elf communities. Most Wood Elves have an affinity with bows of all kinds, except for mechanical crossbows, and are know to produce bows that are of such good quality that they can double as weapons that can be physically used in melee combat. They also have created, over the years, an assortment of arrows that serve various functions. For example, some are hollow, and feature a small lip, so that when they fly through the air, they whistle. Others are designed such that they fly much faster, or at a further length, than normal arrows. Wood Elves tend to eschew armor that they feel it too constricting. In most communities, leather armor is just about the heaviest that is commonly utilized. As a result of this fact, however, the production of leather armor has become super-specialized in most Wood Elf communities. Leather is often treated in special ways to make it lighter than normal, tougher than normal, and all kinds of other features that augment its worth. Animals and Pets Wood Elves are completely comfortable with the entire gamut of creatures that roam the forests with them. They do not necessarily keep them as pets, per se, but treat them as allies. Because both the Elves and the creatures of the forest share the same territory, both work together for mutual benefit when called upon. Various animals, such as great cats, especially mountain lions, pumas and leopards, wolverines, and large birds, especially owls defend Wood Elves when in times of need, and in turn, Wood Elves defend these creatures when in need. Dire animals are sometimes allies of Wood Elves, but due to their rarity, they are in no way common, and usually appear only in special circumstances. Abilities and Racial Features +2 Dexterity, -2 Constitution Medium: As Medium creatures, Wood Elves have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size. Wood Elf base land speed is 30 feet. Immunity to magic sleep effects, and a +2 racial saving throw bonus against enchantment spells or effects. Low-Light Vision: A Wood Elf can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. She retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions. Weapon Proficiency: Wood Elves receive the Martial Weapon Proficiency feats for the longsword, rapier, longbow (including composite longbow), and shortbow (including composite shortbow) as bonus feats. +2 racial bonus on Listen, Search, and Spot checks. A Wood Elf who merely passes within 5 feet of a secret or concealed door is entitled to a Search check to notice it as if she were actively looking for it. Automatic Languages: Elven. Bonus Languages: Common, Draconic, Gnoll, Gnome, Goblin, Orc, and Sylvan. Favored Class: Druid. A multiclass Wood Elf’s Druid class does not count when determining whether she takes an experience point penalty for multiclassing.